Rail joint



N0v.19, 1935. RFQES 2,021,297

RAIL JOINT Filed F'eb. ll, 1932 INVENTOR- Roez'i Fazfzs',

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL JOINT Robert Fai-ies, St. Davids, Pa.

Application February 11, 1932, Serial No. 592,264

12 Claims. (Cl. 23S-244) This invention relates to track rail joints of the customary type wherein the contiguous ends of adjoining rail sections are overlapped by joint bars which iit the side hollows of the rails, and

which are secured by clamp bolts engaging through preallocated registering apertures in the joint bars and the vertical center webs of the rail sections.

My invention is directed in the main, toward rendering such rail joints self-tightening with capacity to compensate for wear between the heads of the adjoining rail sections and the upper edges of the juncture bars immediately adjacent the split in the rail, and between the lower edges of the bars and the top faces of the base flanges of the rails at the ends of the rail joint. This desideratum I secure as hereinafter fully set forth, through provision of spring shims adapted to be interposed beneath heads and the nuts of the clamp bolts, and having wedge projections to engage respectively between the top and bottom edges of the joint bars and the heads and base flanges of the rail sections at the above designated regions.

In connection with a rail joint having the indicated attributes, it is a further aim of my invention to provide means for maintaining the shims under different pressures in the direction of their lengths for capacity to better compensate `for wear occurring at different rates along the portions of the rails and joint bars respectively served by said shims.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will be manifest from the detailed description following in connection with the attached drawing, wherein Fig. I shows, in side elevation, a rail joint conveniently embodying the present improvements.

Figs. II, III and IV are cross-sectional views of the rail joint taken as indicated respectively by the arrows II--II, III- III and IV-IV in Fig. I.

Fig. V is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. I showing an alternative embodiment of my invention; and

Figs. VI and VII are sectional views taken respectively as indicated by the arrows VI-VI and VII-VII in Fig. V.

With more detailed reference first to Figs.

I-IV of these illustrations, the numerals I and 2 designate adjoining sections of a track rail; the numeral 3, the joint bars which fit the hollows at opposite sides of the rail sections and symmetrically lap said sections to opposite sides of the split in the rail; and the numerals 4 and 5,

the fastening means or clamp bolts whereby the several parts are secured together, the said bolts engaging through pre-allocated registering apertures respectively in said rail sections and the joint barsall in a manner well understood in 5 the art.

In accordance with the present invention, each joint bar 3 is formed with an inward longitudinal rib-like projection 6, and such projections are adapted to engage the opposite sides of the cen- 10 tral vertical webs l of the rail sections I and 2 as shown in Fig. IV over the length of the rail joint at a level somewhat below that of the clamp bolts 5. The rail sections I and 2 are thus effectively braced against sidewise flexure, in 15 addition to being stiffened against up and down flexure through engagement of the upper and lower edges of the joint bars 3 respectively with the sloping undersides of the rail heads -8 and the sloping top surfaces of the base flanges 9 20 of said rail sections. A further departure will be observed in that the upper edges of the joint bars 3 are recessed for a relatively short distance centrally of their lengths as at Iii in Fig. I; while their lower edges are recessed for relatively 25 short distances from opposite ends as at II; the bevels I3 and I4 of the recessions Ii) and II forming acute angles with the under-surfaces of the rail heads 8 and the top surfaces of base flanges 9. The purpose of this construction will 30 become apparent presently. Moreover, it will be apparent that as a result of this construction the bars are, at certain regions, of less fishing height than the shing height of the rails, while at other regions they are of the same fishing 35 height as that of the rails.

To render the joint self-tightening I provide spring shims such as depicted at I5 and I6 for use at the center and the ends of the juncture, which are adapted to be interposed respectively 40 beneath the heads I'I and I8 and nuts I9 and 20 associated with the clamp bolts 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. III, the center shims I5 are concaved for single point contact of their lower edges with thecuter faces of the joint bars 3 as 45 at 2l, and formed along their upper edges with inwardly-directed tapered wedge projections 22 which are adapted to engage between the underfaces of the rail heads 8 and the top edges of said joint bars. The top portions of the shims 50 I6 are made concave for single point contact of their upper edges with the sides of the joint bars 3 as at 23 in Fig. IV, while their bottom portions are made generally conformative with the lateral flanges 24 of the joint bars with provision of 55 inward wedge projections 25 to engage in. acute angle intervals between the lower edges of said joint bars and the top slopes of the base flanges of the rail sections i and 2.

As is well known, the greatest wear in a rail joint occurs between the upper edges of the joint bars and the heads of the rail sections immediately adjacent the rail split, and between the lateral flanges of the joint bars and the base flanges of the rails at the ends of the juncture. The contiguous ends of the heads of the adjoining rail sections are moreover prone to wear unequally depending on the direction of train travel over the rail. For this reason, I prefer to employ separate spring shims in association'with the clamp bolts l at each side of the center of the joint rather than single shims, so that the diierent conditions of wear may be individually compensated for. By providing spring shims such as described with wedge projections to engage within the fishing spaces between the joint bars and the contiguous portions of the rails at the regions indicated, it will be evident that the wear is constantly and evenly taken up through the tendency of the wedge projections to work inward under the spring action of the shims.

In the alternative embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. V, VI and VII, the shims |50, are split so that there is aorded, in each instance, a pair of independent tongues 26, 21 respectively with wedge projections 22a to engage in the intervals between the rail head 8a and the top edges of the joint bars 3a at different distances from the split in the rail. In order to maintain the tongues 26 and 2l' of the two center shims ld at each side of the rail joint under different pressures, I interpose beneath the heads Ela and nuts |90. of the central pair of clamp bolts la connecting bars 28, 29, whereof the insides in contact with the shims are longitudinally curved as at 39, 3l in Fig. VII. Accordingly, the tongues 2S of the shims l5a immediately adjacent the split in the rail where the greatest amount of wear takes place, are urged inward under greater pressure than the tongues 27 which are more remote from the rail split and which serve regions where less wear takes place between the rail head and the joint bars. The described arrangement moreover permits the top ol* the shim to yield to twisting in the event of greater wear at one side than the other incident to compensation for uneven wear of the rail head adjacent the split. If desired or found advantageous, the end shims i6 of Figs. I--IV may be split like the shims la of Figs. V, VI and VII with attainment of advantages corresponding to those just pointed out.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention affords a rail joint which is self tightening in compensating for wear between the connecting parts, and sturdy against excessive lateral and up and down iiexure, by reason of which wear is reduced to the very minimum with avoidance of depressions or low spots in the rail. By virtue of the springiness of the shims used in the various embodiments separately described herein, lock washers obviously need not be employed in connection with the bolts by which the joint bars are secured.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, clamp bolts to secure the joint bars; apertured shims of spring metal interposed beneath the heads of the clamp bolts, said shims being split at intervals along their lengths with formation of independent wedge-shaped tongues engaging in the fishing spaces between the joint bars and rails, and means operative in connection with the bolts to impose dierent degrees of pressure upon the several tongues of the shims.

2. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, clamp bolts to secure the joint bars, apertured shims of spring metal interposed beneath the heads of the clamp bolts, said shims being split at intervals along their lengths with formation of independent tongues having inward wedge projections to engage between the horizontal edges of the joint bars and contiguous portions of the rail, members associated with the clamp bolts, having curved surfaces to press against the shims with imposition of different degrees of pressure upon the several tongues of said shims.

3. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, clamp bolts to secure the joint bars, separate apertured shims of spring metal interposed beneath the heads of the center clamp bolts adjacent the split in the rail, said shims being split at intervals along their lengths with formation of independent tongues having inward wedge projections to engage between the upper edges of the joint bars and the heads of the rail sections, and bars connecting the center clamp bolts at opposite sides or" the juncture and having curved inner surfaces to press against the center shims with imposition of different degrees of pressure upon the several tongues of the shims.

ll. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, and a spring shim having a wedge-shaped tongue interposed in the fishing space between a bar and a rail, said bar being out of direct contact with the rail throughout said fishing space and llet adjacent thereto at the region where the shim is applied and said bar being at other regions in direct Contact with the rail, and said shim being distorted from natural shape incident to the drawing together of the bars when the joint is assembled, whereby said tongue is constantly urged inwardly across said fishing space.

5. In a rail joint, the combination with the rails, of a joint bar in contact with the rail heads throughout a portion of its length and having clearance with a rail head, including the iillet adjacent thereto, throughout another portion of its length; and a spring shim having a wedgeshaped tongue interposed in the fishing space between the bar and rail head at said region of clearance, said shim being distorted from natural shape incident to the drawing together of the bars when the joint is assembled, whereby said tongue is constantly urged inwardly across said shing space.

6. In a rail joint, the combination with the rails of a joint bar in contact with the rail flanges throughout a portion of its length and having clearance with a rail ange including the llet adjacent thereto throughout another portion of its length; and a spring shim having a wedgeshaped tongue interposed in the fishing space between the bar and rail ilange at said region of clearance, said shim being distorted from natural shape incident to the drawing together of the bars when the joint is assembled, whereby said tongue is constantly inwardly urged across said shing space.

'7. In a rail joint, the combination with the ing wedge-shaped tongues interposed in the fishing spaces between the bar and rail heads at said regions of clearance, said shims being distorted from natural shape incident to the drawing t0- gether of the bars when the joint is assembled, whereby said tongues are constantly urged inwardly across said fishing spaces.

8. In a rail joint, the combination with the rails, of a joint bar in contact with the rail flanges throughout its center portion and having clearance with the rail flanges, including the fillets adjacent thereto, at its end portions; and spring shims having wedge-shaped tongues interposed in the fishing spaces between the bar and rail flanges at said regions of clearance, said shims being distorted from natural shape incident to the drawing together of the bars when the joint is assembled, whereby said tongues are constantly urged inwardly across said fishing spaces.

9. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, fastening means for securing the bars to the rails, and apertured center shims bearing against said fastening means and disposed adjacent to the rail ends, said shims being concaved for contact with the exterior surfaces of said joint bars and having inward wedge projections along their upper edges to engage between the heads of the joint bars and the rail heads, and said bars being, at the regions where the shims are applied, out of contact with the rail head and the fillets adjacent thereto.

10. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, fastening means for securing the bars to the rails, and apertured shims of spring metal, interposed between said fastening means and the joint bars at the bar ends, said shims being concaved for contact with the exterior surfaces of the joint bars and having inward projections along their bottom edges to engage between the lower edges of the joint bars and the top surfaces of the rail flanges, and said bars being, at the regions where the shims are applied, of less fishing height than the fishing height of the rails and out of contact with the rail flange fillets, and being at other regions of the same fishing height as that of the rails.

11. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, and apertured shims of spring metal interposed beneath the heads of the clamp bolts, said shims being split at intervals along their lengths with formation of independent wedge-shaped tongues engaging in the fishing spaces between said joint bars and rails, and said bars being, at the regions where the shims are applied, of less fishing height than the fishing height of the rails, and out o f contact with the rail fillets, and being at other regions of the same fishing height as that of the rails, and means operative in connection with the bolts to impose different degrees of pressure upon the several tongues of the shims.

l2. In a rail joint, the rails and joint bars, fastening means for securing the bars to the rails, and apertured shims of spring metal individually interposed between said fastening means and the joint bars at the rail ends and formed with inward wedge projections to engage in the fishing spaces between said joint bars and rails, the said shims being split at intervals of their length and having capacity toyield to twisting incident to compensating for uneven wear of the rail heads, and the said bars being, at the regions where the shims are applied, of less fishing height than the fishing height of the rails and out of contact with the rail fillets, and being at other regions of the same fishing height as that of the rails, and means operative in connection with the fastening means aforesaid for imposing different degrees of pressure upon the several tongues of the shims.

ROBERT FARIES. 

